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Topic: Story in a local paper. Sad but busy 35 bees! (Read 573 times)

Three honeybee hives stolen in Ohatcheeby Rachael Griffinrgriffin@annistonstar.com05:08 PM, Wednesday, April 03Deputies are searching for a suspect who stole three honeybee hives from a field in Ohatchee last week.

A 53-year-old woman told deputies the hives were stolen between 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday, according to a report from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Chief Deputy Matthew Wade said the hives were taken from the 7,000 block of Mudd Street in Ohatchee.

Wade was unsure whether the woman kept bees as a business or hobby. The stolen hives are worth $600, according to the report.

Jack Chapman, treasurer of the Northeast Alabama Beekeeper’s Association, said he doesn’t know the woman, but was sad to hear about the theft. Chapman said the hives most likely weighed between 60 and 70 pounds and could have had more than 35 bees in each hive.

The bee hives would not have had enough honey for someone to collect at this time of year, Chapman said.

According to Chapman, it costs between $70 and $100 to purchase a “package” of bees to start a hive.

Chapman said hive theft is not common in the beekeeping community, but this is not the first instance he’s heard of.

A suspect will likely face charges of second-degree theft of property, a felony, according to the report.

I'm sorry for the lady whose hives were stolen but, the article takes a weird turn. Chapman said "the hives most likely weighed between 60 and 70 pounds and could have had more than 35 bees in each hive".

Either Mr. Chapman knows very little about bees or the reporters battery in his hearing aid died, or he made bad notes, or one or both had a brain fart while giving and getting the facts. Maybe this is some new breed of bees big as a Bluejay, and if so I don't think I want to see them. Wonder if we will see a correction to the story in a latter addition.

Reminds me of an old friend that was promoting a local festival. He was being interviewed by a local reporter and assured the reporter that turnout for the festival would be somewhere between a 100 and 150,000 people.

Of course, the way he said it, the reported heard it and took him to mean between 100,000 and a 150,000 people. Realize this was in a very small town and the reporter was shocked and in disbelief. But my buddies statement was true and accurate....He said, and meant...between 1 hundred ....and 150,000 people, knowing there would probably be a couple hundred people show up. :lau: :lau: :lau:

Logged

"We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions." - Ronald Reagan

There has got to be away of rigging the hives for this? :evil:How about a explosive pack like they have at banks except use a attack pheromone that the bees use to mark when they sting. Man I could make a million off this if I hand the time and know how. :-P

This is hilarious. Maybe you could put a skunk in one. I would classify that as an explosive pack with a biological hazardous material. I would imagine someone would have to be hard up to steal a hive. :-\